Image: Ruth Morris, Gavin Marwick, Aaron Jones, Wendy Stewart, and Phil Alexander gathered to perform composer Marwick’s Quarterdays project at Celtic Connections (photo courtesy of the artists).
Week 20 (#2138)
Following the rhythms of the agricultural year in days gone by, four days marked the main divisions of the year: Candlemas, Whitsun, Lammas, and Martinmas. Many traditional folk songs and tunes were set against these seasonal shifts. We’ll explore a few and feature duo Gavin Marwick (fiddle) and Aaron Jones (cittern) from their Quarter Days project of new music.
Leckan Mór…by Lúnasa from Lúnasa with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra (Lúnasa Recordings)
Long, Long the Night…by John Morran from The Complete Songs of Robert Burns, Volume 7 (Linn)
The Fair Maids of February/Jig for Winter…by Gavin Marwick & Aaron Jones from Quarterdays Candlemas (gavinmarwick.co.uk)
A Flame of Gold/Prayer for Protection…by Gavin Marwick & Aaron Jones from Quarterdays Candlemas (gavinmarwick.co.uk)
Bealtaine…by Lúnasa from Lúnasa (Compass)
The Learig…by Wendy Weatherby from A Breath on the Cold Glass (Lochshore)
The Light of May/The Fairy Mantle…by Gavin Marwick & Wendy Stewart from Quarterdays Whitsun (gavinmarwick.co.uk)
[ID excerpt] Ballachulish Tango…by Wendy Weatherby from A Breath on the Cold Glass (Lochshore)
St. Fillan’s Spring/The Lammas Market/Lùnastal…Quarterdays Lammas (gavinmarwick.co.uk)
Corn Rigs…by Ossian from Seal Song (Iona)
Lude’s Supper…by Ossian from Seal Song (Iona)
Martinmas Time/The Little Stack of Wheat…by Andy Irvine & Paul Brady from Andy Irvine & Paul Brady (Mulligan)
The Lantern Horn/The Nights Are Lang and Mirk/November Jig/Martin Dessil/The Geese and the Storm…by Gavin Marwick & Phil Alexander from Quarterdays Martinmas (gavinmarwick.co.uk)
Midnight Walker…by Davy Spillane from Pipedreams (Tara)